hand holding up an air fried chicken wing over a bowl of the rest of them

CRISPIEST AIR FRIED CHICKEN WINGS RECIPE

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The Air Fryer does it again with this Air Fried Chicken Wings Recipe! It’s easy to make, comes out perfectly crispy every single time and can be seasoned however you like! Skip the bar and make these restaurant quality chicken wings in the comfort of your own home!

If you’re a fan of perfectly cooked crispy chicken wings, then this Air Fried Chicken Wings Recipe is for you. Let the Air Fryer do most of the work and end up with restaurant quality pub food in the comfort of your own home! With no added oil or fats and no deep frying, these Air Fried Chicken Wings are ones we can all feel good about eating. Sauce them up or keep them plain Jane, either way, these chicken wings alone live up to ALLLL the recent Air Fryer hype (and yes, the reason you should invest in one if you haven’t already!)

air fried chicken wings in a bowl with ranch dipping sauce, garnished with fresh chopped parsley

It’s no secret, I love my Chicken Wings. Whether they’re sauced up like these Honey Garlic ones or seasoned simply with just salt and fresh cracked pepper like the ones you see here, I’m a HUGE fan. And thanks to the Air Fryer and its ability to produce the crispiest chicken wings with absolutely 0 oil, I’m an even bigger fan. This Air Fried Chicken Wings Recipe, IMHO, is a reason alone for one to invest in an Air Fryer. How did you get this far without one?! I mean, reason number two would be these Air Fryer French Fries (which would make the most perfect side for these wings, BTW ;)) And reason number three would be these Crispy Chickpea Patties. I don’t think you need me to list a reason number four or five to see where I’m going with this… you can make almost anything in that thing!

Ever since I got an Air Fryer, I use my oven less and less. The Air Fryer is just so easy to use and clean and everything I’ve ever made in it almost always taste better, is way healthier to eat and takes less time to cook than if I were cooking the same thing in the oven. Like this Air Fried Chicken Wings Recipe, certain things just come out PERFECT EVERY. SINGLE. TIME. All hail the Air Fryer!

INGREDIENTS YOU’LL NEED FOR THE BEST AIR FRYER WINGS RECIPE

ingredients for air fried chicken wings recipe - bowl of raw chicken wings, salt, pepper, baking powder, non-stick cooking spray
Complete list of ingredients and amounts can be found in the recipe card below.

No fancy ingredients needed for this Air Fryer Chicken Wings Recipe! A few simple ones is all it takes to make your own restaurant quality wings at home. Let’s get into the ingredients in a little bit more detail down below:

  • Chicken Wings: You can buy already split chicken wings or opt to split them yourself. I like using both wings and drums. But, if you have a preference, you can use just one or the other.
  • Baking Powder (don’t confuse with baking soda): The key to crispy AF Chicken Wings. The alkaline in the baking powder increases the pH level in the chicken skin which breaks down the peptide bonds and leads to a browner, crispier skin. HOWEVER, that being said, the Air Fryer has the ability to still produce really crispy wings without the baking powder. While I wouldn’t recommend skipping the baking powder if you oven bake chicken wings, I think you can get away without it here and still end up with crispy chicken wings. So, choose to use it if you want to and omit if you don’t!
  • Salt and Pepper: My seasoning of choice for these Plain Jane Air Fryer Wings. If you want to get a little crazy, feel free to add more spices along with the salt and pepper. Cajun, Italian seasoning and lemon pepper are always good options. Or try them with my Homemade Chicken Seasoning. We season the chicken wings both before they go into the Air Fryer and after they come out. PRO TIP: Lightly re-season the wings as soon as they come out of the Air Fryer and while they’re still hot. This will help the seasonings better stick to the crispy skin.
  • Non-Stick Cooking Spray: Used only to spray down the Air Fryer basket to prevent sticking.

KEY TIPS TO MAKING CRISPY WINGS IN THE AIR FRYER

bowl of air fried chicken wings seasoned with salt, pepper and fresh chopped parsley
  • Pat the chicken wings dry with paper towel before seasoning and air frying. This will remove any excess lingering moisture and lead to a crispier outer skin.
  • Mix the spices (salt, pepper and baking powder) in a small ramekin before adding it to the wings to coat. This will ensure everything gets evenly dispersed amongst the wings once coated.
  • Season the chicken wings before and after they come out of the Air Fryer for best results. Make sure to re-season when the wings are still hot so the seasoning has an easier time of latching onto the skin and coating the wing. KEY NOTE: If you’re planning on getting saucy with it and tossing these wings in your favourite wing sauce, do so immediately after they finish cooking and come out of the air fryer.
  • Don’t overcrowd the air fryer tray or basket with the chicken wings. Leave enough room between them so air can circulate and the wings can “breathe” as they bake which helps cook them evenly and crisp up the skin. And definitely don’t pile them on top of each other! Single layer is best.
  • All Air Fryers are different! Yours might need more or less time than mine did to finish cooking. Start keeping a close eye after 15 minutes to ensure nothing burns. KEY NOTE: My Air Fryer basket is actually a large tray slotted with several small holes to allow for air to circulate in a 360° motion. This enables even cooking all around with no need to flip at all throughout. If your model is different and you have a basket insert rather than a tray, you may need to flip the wings halfway through frying to ensure they cook evenly on both sides.
  • Try these Air Fried Chicken Wings with all your favourite sauces or spice combinations!
hand holding up tongs to the camera with a cooked chicken drumstick

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

DO I HAVE TO PREHEAT THE AIR FRYER BEFORE ADDING THE CHICKEN WINGS?

The best part is NO you do not have to preheat the air fryer before cooking! Which means crispy, perfectly cooked chicken wings in less than half the time if you were to bake them in a conventional oven.

WHAT IS THE TEMP FOR AIR FRYER CHICKEN WINGS?

All Air Fryers are different. However, most actually happen to have a Chicken Wing setting (I’m not lying when I say it’s like a match made in Heaven, ok?!) For me, that is 450° for 18 minutes but I always use my judgement. I start keeping an eye on them at the 15 minute mark. But honestly, we love our Chicken Wings extra crispy so I find that they’re best and crispiest at the 25 minute mark. Keep an eye and use your judgement! They’re done when an instant read thermometer reads 165°F when inserted in the center (not touching the bone).

WHAT IS THE BEST DIP FOR CHICKEN WINGS?

Ahhhh. You’re asking the wrong gal. Because she can honestly sit here for hours going on about all the best dips for chicken wings. How about this homemade healthy ranch dressing? Or this Dill Pickle Dip? Tzatziki Sauce and Tartar Sauce are a few other great options. And my latest craze? Red Pepper Jelly! *Drools* The best part is you can sauce them, toss them, season them or dip them in just about anything! Make them different every time!

HOW SHOULD I STORE AND REHEAT LEFTOVER AIR FRIED CHICKEN WINGS?

You can store any leftover chicken wings in an airtight container and keep them in the fridge for up to 5 days. To reheat, simply throw them back in the air fryer at 450° for up to 5-10 minutes or until heated through. Alternatively, you can use the oven or a microwave.

I DON’T HAVE AN AIR FRYER. CAN I OVEN BAKE THESE CHICKEN WINGS INSTEAD?

Sure thing! I mean, *only* if I haven’t convinced you to go out and get one by now! The oven will most definitely have to be preheated, they’ll take at least twice as long and will have to be flipped halfway through baking to ensure even cooking. Follow this recipe as a guide and season/sauce however you like.

hand dipping a wing into ranch sauce in the middle of a bowl with the rest of the chicken wings
air fried chicken wings in a bowl with ranch dipping sauce, garnished with fresh chopped parsley

CHICKEN WINGS AIR FRYER RECIPE

Yield: 4 Servings
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 35 minutes

The crispiest Pub Style Chicken Wings straight outta the Air Fryer! So simple and so good...they can't be beat!

Ingredients

  • 2 pounds Split Chicken Wings
  • 1 tsp Baking Powder
  • 1 tsp Salt, a sprinkle more for after
  • 1 tsp Pepper, a sprinkle more for after
  • Non-Stick Cooking Spray

Instructions

  1. Spray the air fryer tray or basket with non-stick cooking spray and set aside.
  2. Add the chicken wings to a large bowl. Pat dry with paper towel.
    raw chicken wings in a glass bowl, hand patting them down with paper towel
  3. In a small ramekin, mix the salt, pepper and baking powder until well combined.
    small bowl of seasonings over a raw bowl of chicken wings
  4. Add it to the chicken wings and toss to coat. I use my hands to make sure all the wings are nicely coated with the mixture.
    raw chicken wings in a glass bowl with some seasonings
    raw seasoned chicken wings in a glass bowl
  5. Lay the wings out in a single layer in the air fryer basket or tray, leaving enough space between them to 'breathe' (try not to touch or overcrowd too much).
    3 rows of raw seasoned chicken wings in an air fryer basket
  6. Bake on 450° for 18-25 minutes. Every air fryer is different! Yours might even have it's own chicken wing setting - if so, use that. Either way, start keeping an eye on the wings at the 15 minute mark to ensure nothing burns. We like extra crispy wings and I find that the 25 minute mark is when they're the crispiest. NOTE: Please note that you may have to flip the wings halfway through air frying to ensure even cooking on both sides. With my model, since there is 360° air circulation, flipping is not needed. They're done when an instant read thermometer reads 165°F.
    3 rows of cooked seasoned chicken wings in an air fryer basket
  7. Immediately add to a bowl and lightly re-season with some more sprinkles of salt and pepper. Serve with all your favourite dipping sauces!
    bowl of crispy air fried chicken wings seasoned with salt and pepper
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 4 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 746Total Fat: 55gSaturated Fat: 20gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 31gCholesterol: 186mgSodium: 1595mgCarbohydrates: 23gFiber: 1gSugar: 1gProtein: 38g

Nutrition is only an estimate and calculated using Nutritionix.

Did you make this recipe? I love seeing your creations!

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